Maybe Today
by NaruFMAfangirl
Summary: Wishing the day will be different is only wishing. Take a risk and see where it leads.


Hey a new actuall story this time. I tried hard so please review and make my day! Thanks.

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Maybe Today

The morning light filled the room and kissed the boy's sun blonde hair. He sat on his small futon and gazed apathetically into his closet. With what seemed like a slow pace he rose off his bed and made his way over to get some clothes.

Naruto's blue eyes seemed to have lost their normal cheer. Most who knew the blonde had never glimpsed this side of him. He reached in and instead of the normal orange outfit he chose a plain gray shirt and dark blue pants. His jumpsuit would not be needed today...not today.

After getting dressed he made his way out of the room, but spared a glance at a tiny beside table. His hitai-ate lay on the wood. Naruto sighed, that would also not be needed today.

Breakfast was over quickly and Naruto couldn't help feel that it would be better today if someone was there. He pondered this while staring at the table with his unwashed dishes in his hands. He glanced down at them and decided he would enjoy clean dishes for lunch.

Naruto wondered around his small apartment trying to find something to get rid of his nervous energy.

He hated today. Since he was six he had come to associate this day with negative feelings. Other people though would unbelieving ask him why. For they saw this day as a great day. The sun always seemed to shine and the festival was always fun, but to Naruto it was not so.

For today was his birthday. The day almost every villager that knew about Kyuubi chose to harass him the most. To Naruto it was the most loneliest day of the whole year.

He walked to the window and saw kids running towards the festival in the happy sun. Kami, he hated the sun right now! Why couldn't the weather be like his mood foe once? Naruto sighed again as he opened the window.

Smells of food and sounds of people suddenly invaded his senses. When he was little he always wanted to join in with the festival. It would be fun he thought, but a near-death experience dashed all those hopes. But as he enjoyed the sounds and smells the urge to go came to him.

'_Why? Why now? It will just hurt like last time.' _Naruto told himself. The feeling would not go away though.

Naruto looked around his apartment skeptically as if held the answers. He laid eyes on the door and frowned.

'_Maybe I could go. Just for a little while.' _he decided. His sandals where placed on his feet and he grabbed the door knob pulling the door open.

As Naruto stepped out of his apartment he felt a sudden insane amount of irrational fear grip him.

He was going out! And on his birthday?! He could get hurt, he could get killed, he could...

Naruto took a shaky breath to try and make the fear go away. He looked back at his hand's tight grip on the knob of the still open door. With fear evident in his eyes he shut the door and took off his hand. He clung for dear life on the only hope he had. It might be different this time.

The festival was huge. Naruto took in all the people wandering about, all the stands and booths. Oh, how he wanted to run up to one and get some food or maybe some toys. Naruto hung back though. He tried to blend in with everyone. He did not want to be found out just yet. As time passed and the morning melted into noon he found himself actually enjoying the sights.

Naruto stopped at a booth where they were telling the demise of the Kyuubi no Kitsune with puppets. He chuckled at the cute chibi Kyuubi. As he watched Naruto recognized the middle aged man who was acting as narrator. He stayed as the show came to a close.

"...and then the great yondaime Hokage defeated the demon saving Konoha and everyone in it. Today he is known as one os the best Hokages," the man ended with a bow while people, mostly kids, clapped for th man's show.

Naruto wished the man believed his own story as he was one of the cruelest to him. For what seemed like the millionth time that day Naruto sighed again. He couldn't wait till this day was over then he could stop sighing so much.

He suddenly felt a heavy gaze on him and turned to see the puppet-man glaring at him. Several other men stared to join the other all glaring at him.

'_Crap!' _was Naruto's only thought. He was actually enjoying himself too. He calmly turned back around and walked towards his building knowing they were following.

Naruto kept walking hoping they would just glare at him and nothing more. However, it seemed the heavens weren't going to be kind today.

Two men appeared on the road ahead of him. He looked over his shoulder and saw three others including the puppet-man, who had what appeared to be a sake bottle in his hands.

Naruto stood there glancing between the men, a deep frown etched on his face.

"Hahaha." Naruto turned towards the laughter. That was a mistake. The sake bottle flew through the air and smashed in to the right side of his forehead.

He hissed in pain and felt blood poor out of the wound as he covered it with his hand.

"That's what you get you wretched monster." the puppet-man yelled as all the others snickered at his pain. "You know never to come to come here. So go on and scram. You're a worthless piece of trash that no one cares about!"

Naruto felt his chest tighten with sadness at the mans outburst. He barley registered that the group was leaving as he got up in a sort of daze and continued the walk home.

'_It's always the same. At least I bought my cake early this year.' _was his last thought as he walked. A single tear flowed down his face.

Sasuke walked down the main road in Konoha trying to avoid running into people. Today was the festival and usually Sasuke tried to avoid it. Too many people, too many memories.

Sasuke scowled at all the kids having fun. The last time he had gone had been with his mother before she had died. He could remember having loads of fun.

That was not so now as Sasuke walked down the streets mentally cursing everyone there. The thing was Sasuke didn't even know why he was here in the first place. He had woken up, gone through his morning routine when the sudden thought of going to the festival hit him.

To say he was surprised would have been an understatement. He usually forgot about the festival, not that he would have gone anyway.

Sasuke smacked himself mentally for the umpteenth time that day. He racked his brain for the answer as to why he was even here. Still he could not find it. Many people moved out of is way as he glared at them with misplaced anger.

A flash of yellow caught his eye as he looked at a booth doing a puppet show. Sasuke's angry glare turned in to a look of surprise as he spotted hi teammate.

Sasuke blinked several times trying to determine if it was really Naruto. Gone was the blinding orange jumpsuit, that Sasuke had grown accustomed to, replaced with simple grays and blues. He also noticed that Naruto's headband was missing. Sure they had the day off and Sasuke wasn't wearing his either, but Naruto always seemed to have his on him.

Sasuke's surprise melted into a confused frown. Naruto wasn't acting right either. He was standing behind most of the crowd like he was trying to draw as little attention as possible. His smile was no where to be found.

Sasuke couldn't understand it, nut a part of him wanted to up to the boy and force him to be cheerful. Another part told him to move along, find something better to do. He stayed though and watched.

The show ended and the kids with their parents filtered away. Naruto lingered however. Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes widen in what appeared to be ...fear? Sasuke was now more confused then ever. Why would Naruto be afraid?

He followed Naruto's gaze and saw the runner of the booth and some other men all glaring at Naruto. As Naruto turned to leave and the others followed Sasuke hopped up onto the rooftops to follow.

'_What's going on? Why would Naruto be afraid of some villagers and why were they so mad?_ He was defiantly hating these unanswered questions.

For a moment Sasuke lost the group in the sea of people and found himself wishing Naruto had worn his horrid orange outfit.

"At least he'd be easier to follow." he grumbled to himself.

A shout led Sasuke to a more deserted street and what he saw shocked him.

Naruto was standing up in a daze a hand covered the bloody side of his face. The men were walking away laughing at the boy as he stumbled away.

Sasuke glared with all his might at the men. His sharingan activated as his rage soared. Sasuke blinked in surprise. Why was he so mad? It was just Naruto. It's not like they're friends, right?

Curiosity still griping him, Sasuke cautiously followed Naruto. He noticed Naruto seemed to not pay attention to anything even those who pushed him out of the way. Sasuke growled at all the people who seemed to enjoy pushing Naruto.

Finally they were back at his apartment and Sasuke watched Naruto fumble with the lock as he tried to get in as fast as he could.

Sasuke contemplated going in and seeing what was up. He didn't know why, but he wanted to help Naruto after seeing him like that. He couldn't bring himself to knock on the door so he turned away.

Just as he was leaving faint singing caught his ear.

"Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me." the voice cracked and Sasuke knew Naruto was crying.

A pain he didn't know gripped his heart. He didn't know it was Naruto's birthday toady and after what he saw Sasuke had to do something.

A small smile graced his face as he walked away. He would find Sakura and they could buy Naruto a gift. Sasuke knew at that moment that he would have done anything to make Naruto stop crying. He too had the pain of no parents there on his birthday. It must be even harder without anyone around.

Sasuke looked back at the door and his smile grew.

Happy birthday Naruto.


End file.
